The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology – Department of Science and Technology (PHIVOLCS-DOST) enjoins the nation in commemorating the 1991 Pinatubo Eruption on its 25th anniversary this June 2016.

Nine months after the catastrophic 16 July 1990 M7.8 Luzon Earthquake, Pinatubo ended about 400 years of quiescence on 2 April 1991 with a series of steam-driven eruptions from vents in its upper flanks. This was followed in quick succession by the sighting of a lava intrusion on 7 June and powerful explosive eruptions that began on 12 June and culminated climactically on 15 June. The paroxysm of 15 June propelled a 40 kilometer-high Plinian eruption column with a massive umbrella cloud that blanketed ash over 2,000 square kilometers of land in Luzon. Ash rained further across 4 million square kilometers of the South China Sea and Southeast Asia. Thick ashfall, soaked and made heavier by the passage of Typhoon Yunya (local name Diding), caused major infrastructural and roof collapse damages in the adjoining provinces of Zambales, Pampanga and Tarlac that straddle Pinatubo. Airborne volcanic ash paralyzed aviation in East Asia for days. Deadly pyroclastic flows, high-velocity mixtures of hot gas, fragmented rock and ash, rushed down all sides of the summit to distances of 16 kilometers, burying major river valleys in hundred meters of hot volcanic debris. These would sooner and later spawn secondary explosions and far-reaching hazardous lahars across five major river systems draining the volcano during heavy and prolonged rains. After the climactic eruption, discrete but minor explosions occurred until September 1991. From July to September 1992, a lava dome was quietly erupted within the newly-formed, 2.5 kilometer-diameter summit caldera. A large caldera lake would soon evolve and break out a decade later. By the end of the 1991 unrest, a total of 5.5 cubic kilometers of magma had been discharged, and Pinatubo’s eruption would become the second largest in the 20th century.

PHIVOLCS conducted a training entitled "Capacity Enhancement of PDRF Companies' Staffs on Hazard, Risk and Exposure Database Development through the Provision and Use of the REDAS Software" from May 4 to May 18, 2016 for staffs of member companies of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF). The training was divided into three batches. The module taught dealt with Seismic Hazard Assessment. The training was held at UP ISSI, UP campus, Diliman, Quezon City. The goal of the training was to provide and familiarize the participants with the capability of the REDAS Software, especially the modules which are designed to be used for seismic hazard assessment for use of their respective companies.

There was a total of 66 participants during the whole span of the training - nine from Batch 1 (May 4 -6, 2016), 28 from Batch 2 (May 10 - 12), and 29 from Batch 3 (May 16 - 18). The first and third batches comprised of representatives from Hotel 101, Makati Diamond Residences, Megaworld, MERALCO, Peace and Equity Foundation, Philex Mining, PhilExport, PJLhuiller Group, Silangan Mining, Simbahang Lingkod Bayan, St Lukes Med Center – Global City, Tigers Resorts, Team Sual Corp, Team Energy and TMC-NLEX. The second batch was exclusively attended by the Aboitiz Group of companies such as Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Aboitiz Power Corp, Aboitizland, AP Renewables, SN Aboitiz Power, Aboitiz Power Oil Group, Subic Enerzone Corp, Visayan Electric Company, Therma Luzon, Inc., PILMICO, City Savings Bank and Union Bank of the Philippines. The participants were provided with REDAS Version 2.8Y. A total of 64 REDAS software license keys was issued during the said event.

PHIVOLCS conducted a six-day training entitled "Mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction into the Local Development Planning Process, Contingency Planning, and Emergency Preparedness through the Provision and Use of the REDAS Software" last 29 February to 5 March 2016 for the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. The training was held at Cocoon Boutique Hotel, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City. The goal of the training was to provide and familiarize the participants with the capability of the REDAS Software, especially the modules which are designed to be used for risk assessment. The training was part of the-READY Project.

There was a total of 47 participants during the training. Twenty-five of them came from the local government units (LGUs) of the province of Nueva Vizcaya , 19 from the LGUs of Quirino and three from the offices of DILG, DOST and OCD-of Region II. The participants were provided with REDAS version 2.8X. A total of 33 REDAS software license keys issued during the said event.

Through the initiative of SEM-Calaca Power Corporation, a subsidiary of Semirara Mining & Power Corporation, the PHIVOLCS-REDAS Team conducted a six-day training entitled “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the Local Development Planning Process, Contingency Planning and Emergency Preparedness through the Use of the REDAS Software for SEM-Calaca Power Corporation”. The training was held last February 1-6, 2015 at the SEM-Calaca Power Corporation power plant in Calaca, Batangas.

Trainees who underwent the training totalled to 21. Five of which were from DMCI Power Corporation, 14 from the local government units of Batangas City; municipalities of Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, San Luis, Taal, and Tuy; and 2 from the PDRRMO of the province of Batangas.

The training started off with introduction about PHIVOLCS, the REDAS software, GPS concepts, and a brief review of basic map reading. The following day concentrated on the utilization of the Exposure Database Module of the REDAS software, and the familiarization of the SQLite environment. In addition, there were also lectures on hydrometeorological, volcanic and earthquake hazards. Furthermore, lectures and hands-on exercises on SQLite as relational and spatial database system were also provided.